Latest news with #KirstyLeanne
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
I'm a proud plus-size traveler — here's why I don't bother booking a bigger seat on planes, even if it makes other passengers mad
It's a big hassle — with a slim number of solutions. Hopping a plane while plump isn't easy, according to plus-size travel influencer Kirsty Leanne — citing narrow aisles, tightly-packed rows and cramped accommodations, which make it hard for her to sit back and enjoy the ride. But paying for extra personal space, a quick fix that frequent flyers of size often choose, doesn't work for her — and she's not bothered by the complainers who carp about her not booking a second seat, or even a larger one at the front of the plane. Advertisement 5 Kirsty Leanne detailed the downsides of buying to airplane seats as a plus size flyer. @kirstyleannetravels/TikTok 'Here's why I don't book two seats every time I fly,' explained Leanne, 29, from the UK, in an in-depth TikTok tell-all currently boasting over 1.3 million views. 'While I understand that seems like the right solution when it comes to small seats on planes,' the on-the-move millennial said, 'it's not a 'one size fits all' issue.' Advertisement In fact, it's just one of the many issues that heavyset jet-setters face at 30,000 feet. Travelers of a certain size have been angrily calling on airlines, hotel chains and destinations, demanding 'size inclusive' adjustments for portly patrons. Leanne, founder of Plus Sized Travel Too, a site dedicated to overweight trippers, has also blown the whistle of inclusivity, virally documenting the 'emotional damage' done by careless companies that refuse to cater to the chubby. 5 The travel content creators is in the growing number of heavy sightseers who've recently asked for more 'size inclusive' offerings on aircrafts. Parilov – Advertisement Her heartfelt call-to-action, however, was met with cruel attacks launched by fatphobics — who flooded her with hateful comments like, 'Buy two seats or don't fly.' But in her recent, lengthy retort to virtual trolls, Leanne plainly explained while spending double is rarely worth the trouble. 'Booking two seats can be incredibly expensive, and for a lot of people, it's out of their budget to spend that much on something they're not sure will work 100%,' she said. 5 The on-the-go gal shared a laundry list of reasons why purchasing an additional airplane seat can often be a major hassle. @kirstyleannetravels/TikTok Advertisement 'Booking an extra seat can also be super tricky every airline has a different process, and most of the time this isn't available to find on their website,' noted the full-figured tastemaker. 'On numerous occasions I have spoke to members of [an airline's] team, using support chats or their customer service line, and they haven't understood what I'm trying to do.' The Brit blames the hubbub on the lack of clear company policies and practices for corpulent customers. 'A lot of the time, both the check-in and gate agents do not know you can book an extra seat, which often leads to confusion when it comes to the process,' Leanne lamented. 5 The millennial hoped her honesty would make an impact on folks who criticize the plus-sized. Ozgur Coskun – 'Once, I was travelling with an extra seat and at every point of contact with a member of staff, they didn't know what to do or how to process it,' she recalled. 'This was an incredibly anxious experience for me, as I didn't know if they were going to honor the seat reservation.' The voluptuous trendsetter went on to claim that airlines will often sell an obese person's second seat to standby passengers in need. 'It can also be taken away due to aircraft changes,' said Leanne, 'which can completely change the seating layout of the plane and is not something that can be planned for in advance.' Advertisement 'While I know booking a second seat works great for some, it's not a blanket solution for every single plus size person,' she insisted in closing, hoping to have enlightened her haters. But, unfortunately, it seems the minds of the meanies aren't easily changed. 'If you can afford to travel, the extra seat should be within your budget,' spewed a commenter. 'It's not fair to the people around you.' 5 Although some cynics brutalized Leanne with shade, kindhearted viewers stood with her in solidarity. @kirstyleannetravels/TikTok Advertisement ''Booking two seats is too expensive,' while eating for a family of 5,' another teased. 'How about you spend that money on a gym membership so you don't need to afford to buy two seats?,' a cyberbully chimed. Thankfully for Leanne, a few supporters spoke up on her behalf. Advertisement 'I don't think anyone should have to pay for a second seat, that's f—king bonkers,' said an ally. 'Being fat is not a crime.' 'Airplane seats are small. It's not just about fat people, tall people, old people, people with babies,' they continued, insisting that 'many people need more room.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Plus size traveller explains why it's a waste of money to book an extra seat on a plane when she flies
A plus-sized woman has revealed the reasons why she doesn't book two seats when she catches a flight. Kirsty Leanne, 32, from Shropshire regularly shares tips on how to make travelling while plus-sized as easy as possible to her TikTok account, @kirstyleannetravels. She previously made headlines after revealing the trolling she receives online – with critics insisting she should lose weight rather than complain about the issues she faces travelling as a plus-sized person. Despite this, she has travelled all over the world - recently visiting Cappadocia in Turkey, Paris, Croatia and South Korea. But there's one thing Kirsty doesn't do when she jets off on her adventures - and that is booking a second seat when she catches a plane. Taking to TikTok, Kirsty explained that when she'd booked a second seat in the past, it had proven expensive, was difficult to organise, and in some occasions, her extra seat was even taken away from her. Kirsty, who was bumped up to business class because of her size on a recent flight, said: 'I'm plus size and here's why I don't book two seats every time I fly. 'One of the most common comments I receive on my videos is "I hope you booked two seats" and why I understand that seems like the right solution when it comes to small seats on planes, it's not a "one size fits all' issue."' Firstly, Kirsty says that booking two seats can be 'incredibly expensive' and, for many people, would be out of their budget to do so every time they travel - as it's effectively paying double the cost. She says it's also 'super tricky' to book an extra seat as each airline has a different process, and these aren't easy to find on their websites. Kirsty said: 'On numerous occasions, I have spoken to members of the team using support chats or their customer service line and they haven't understood what I was trying to do. 'A lot of the time, both check in and gate agents do not know you can book an extra seat, which often leads to confusion when it comes to the process.' She referenced one example when she did choose to buy an extra seat - and said staff didn't know what to do or how to process it. This meant the experience was 'incredibly anxious' for her as she didn't know if her extra seat reservation would be honoured. She's even experienced her extra seat being taken away from her completely. 'I've arrived at check-in desks to be told my second seat has been sold,' she said, adding: 'And had people share with me that their extra seats have been given to people on standby.' People were left divided in the comments, with some supporting Kirsty's decision - but others were worried it would impact the space of other passengers In addition, if there's an aircraft change at the last minute, the layout of the plane can change, meaning the two seats may not even be next to each other. Kirsty concluded: 'While I know booking a second seat works great for some, it's not a blanket solution for every single plus size person.' People were left divided in the comments, with some supporting Kirsty's decision - but others were worried it would impact the space of other passengers. One person asked: 'Would you like to sit next to you or someone the same size?' Kirsty responded: 'Yes i do regularly - my girlfriend is fat too.' Supporting Kirsty, one person said: 'Call me a radical but I don't think anyone should have to pay for a second seat that's f***ing bonkers people expect you to do that. Being fat is not a crime. 'Airplane seats are small. It's not just about fat people, tall people, old people, people with babies... many people need more room it's insane the standard set.' Another said: 'Girl i would have no issues siting next to you. I think airlines should start making their seats bigger anyway! They are ridiculously tiny.' A third added: 'This wouldn't even be an issue if airlines made their seats a reasonable size instead of trying to pack people like sardines in a can.' But others were more sceptical, saying it's 'selfish' to take up the extra room on a flight, without paying. One person said: 'I was sat next to a woman who should have bought 2 seats earlier this year she took a third of my seat causing me to have to lean the entire flight - my back hurt for three days after. If you cannot fit inside your seat then buy another. It's selfish to not.' Others said: 'Yes you deserve to travel, yes you have every right to be there and yes the airline should make sure you always have the second seat you've paid for BUT it's incredibly unfair and disrespectful to the person in the next seat if their neighbour is spilling into their seat'; 'Last time I flew I had two extremely large people and I had a middle seat. When I got to my seat, they were already seated. There was legit not room to fit in between. I ended up having to get another flight. 'When I book with my dog, I have to get another seat. Everyone deserves to fly but if it impacts others regardless the reason, then you should have to get an extra seat. I think offering a second seat at a discount should be acceptable'; 'Close quarters and touching knees is one thing, but if I paid for my plane ticket, I'm not sharing a third of my seat unless you're paying for a third of it.' Kirsty previously revealed she gets fat shamed on flights and has had people refuse to sit next to her in the past. While much of the criticism she receives is online, Kirsty shared some upsetting experiences she's had in real life. One such encounter was on a flight to Spain, where the travel buff was in the window seat, and another woman was assigned the middle seat on her aisle. When she saw me sat in the window, she instantly made it clear she didn't want to sit there and started huffing and puffing,' Kirsty, who shares her tips on her blog, Plus Size Travel Too, said. 'I apologised that there wasn't much room and she didn't reply, so I did my usual and squashed myself against the window. 'For the whole flight she was pushing the armrest as far down as she could – it was 98 percent down but that last 2 percent was super painful – and causing me to bruise. 'Eventually, she turned to her friend a few rows back [and said], "I can't sit next to her anymore". 'I pretended I didn't hear but I wanted the ground to swallow me up.' Kirsty found the experience incredibly awkward and chose to stay silent at the time, but says she will no longer let it slide. She said: 'I tend to ask flight attendants if I can move to a seat with more room and an extra seat next to it now, to help prevent this from happening and to ensure everyone is as comfortable as they can be. 'Often I do have to sit next to people while they find me a seat so I do my best to be kind and understanding, in the hopes they return with the same sentiments.' The traveller also says she can often tell when someone isn't pleased to be seated near her. She added: 'People usually make it known they're unhappy pretty instantly. 'Most people are super friendly and understanding, but some people use it as an excuse to be mean and to lash out. 'While I understand it's uncomfortable, acting in that way is unnecessary and likely to be the worst way to come to a solution.' Luckily, Kirsty doesn't let the hate stop her from sharing her advice. 'Whenever I post content about flying while plus size, I always get the same comments – 'Why don't you just lose weight?' 'Isn't this a wake up call?', 'You should be so ashamed of yourself',' Kirsty, who shares tips on her blog, PlusSizeTravelToo, said. 'The truth is, however, that fat people exist and they will always exist. 'We have just as much of a right to travel as anyone else does and we deserve to be safe and comfortable while we travel. Seatbelt extenders, of course, help to keep us safe. 'I share a lot of content about seat belt extenders but I know that a lot of people don't know that you often can't use one in an emergency exit. 'I get a lot of questions about this so I wanted to share a video letting people know, as I know a lot of people have experienced this after boarding and have been moved as a result. 'Travelling as a plus size person can be incredibly daunting and overwhelming and so I wanted to show people that look like me that it's possible. 'My life changed when I started to travel and after telling myself for so long that I was too fat to travel, I realised I didn't want anyone else to put off travel like I did. 'If my tips and tricks help just one person, it will be a job well done.'
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
American 'solves' British argument on preparing scone but Brits aren't impressed
An American woman has divided the internet after she shared her unusual method of spreading jam and cream onto a scone, with Brits branding the technique 'disgusting' and 'uncomfortable' The preparation of scones is a topic that can either unite or divide Brits. The traditional toppings of jam and clotted cream, with their origins traced back to Devon and Cornwall in the 11th century, are undisputed. However, the sequence in which these toppings are applied to the scone can spark heated debates, depending on one's location or company. The Cornish method traditionally involves spreading jam first, followed by a dollop of clotted cream. Conversely, the Devon approach calls for clotted cream first, then jam. Across the country, people passionately defend their preferred method as the 'correct' way to eat a scone. An American woman, however, claims to have resolved this contentious issue. Her British girlfriend, Kirsty Leanne, captured her innovative technique during their recent visit to Fortnum and Mason in London. "My American [girlfriend] thinks she's fixed the age old British issue of what goes first and apparently it's both at the same time," Kirsty captioned the TikTok video. The video showed her girlfriend simultaneously scooping up both clotted cream and jam onto her knife. Holding the scone in her other hand, she proceeded to spread both toppings together onto the piece of bread. This resulted in a blend of jam and clotted cream. Despite appearing somewhat messy, it was evident that both the jam and the cream had managed to occupy both the top and bottom layers simultaneously. Kirsty quipped in her video's caption: "Problem solved, I guess." However the audience wasn't as convinced, with loads taking to the comment section to voice their opinions on the American's 'insane' scone approach. One exclaimed: "Good job she's not doing that in a public place. Imagine if she did that in a tea room!" And upon learning the couple had been in Fortnum and Mason's, they once again wrote: "And they let you stay?!!". Another Brit wrote: "As a Brit the 'debate' never made sense to me. Clearly the only way to eat a scone is to put jam on one half, cream on the other, then shove the whole thing in your mouth like a sandwich". However others were very persistent on what order to add the jam and cream, with one person proclaiming: "Jam first, no exceptions." Another countered: "The cream is a replacement for butter and goes first to provide a stable base for the jam." Looking on the bright side, one individual noted: "Cornwall and Devon finally united in agreement that this is objectively the wrong answer." Whereas pure distaste came from a commenter stating: "That's disgusting never let her do that again," and another voicing their discomfort: "That's actually made me so uncomfortable." So, how do you like to have your scone? Would you give this American method a go? Let us know in the comments.
